Automatic gas regulating valve



April 18, 1967 A. AUSTIN 3,314,646

AUTOMATIC GAS REGULATING VALVE Filed Feb. 17, 1964 FIG. 1

I I I a 9 l5 /4 "HT/ v+/ o f Z y 3 ll FIG 3 INVENTOR.

BY ANDERSON AUSTI:

United States Patent ()filice 3,314,h46 Patented Apr. 18, 1967 3,314,646 AUTOMATIC GAS REGULATING VALVE Anderson Austin, 561 W. 147th St, Apt. 35, New York, N.Y. 10031 Filed Feb. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 345,401 3 Claims. ((31. 251-321) The automatic gas regulating valve is used in conjunction with and connected to the small gas heating stove as used in (but not limited to) beauty culture for heating metal combs, curling irons, crimping irons and etc. The metal combs, curling irons, crimping irons and etc., are used to process human, animal and synthetic fiber hair.

The automatic gas regulating valve when used with the operation of the gas heating stove, will automatically lower the flame in the stove to pilot size whenever the metal comb, curling iron or crimping iron is removed from the stove. This is accomplished by resting the handle of the metal comb, curling iron or crimping iron in the handle rest of the automatic gas regulating valve while being heated. The automatic gas regulating valve is located adjacent to the gas stove and easily accommodates the handle of the metal comb, curling iron or crimping iron While being heated.

The weight in the handle rest of the automatic gas regulating valve causes the valve and stem to be depressed, compressing the return spring below the valve and stem. This opens the passage wider through the automatic gas regulating valve for the flow of gas and thereby creating a higher flame in the gas stove. When the metal comb, curling iron or crimping iron is removed from the gas stove, the handle rest of the automatic gas regulating valve is relieved of its weight, allowing the return spring to expand and return the valve and stem to its former position. This position restricts the gas flow through the automatic gas regulating valve and consequently a pilot size flame results in the gas stove.

The restricted opening for gas flow through the automatic gas regulating valve may be adjusted to raise or lower the pilot size flame to suit the individual operator.

Detailed description The automatic gas regulating valve consists of the following parts and so illustrated in FIGURE 1: comb handle rest 1; valve stem nuts 2 and seal washers 3 and 4; flange screws 6; upper flange 7; spacer 8; flange nuts 9; body 1%; cap screw washer 11; cap screw 12; return spring 13; valve seat and bushing 14; adjusting ring 15; seal 16; and the valve and stem 17.

Valve body The valve body 10, made of brass, in the operating position has the gas flowing horizontally through the hole in the center. This hole has pipe threads on the inlet and outlet sides, which facilitates connecting the automatic gas regulating valve to the gas stove at one outlet and to the gas line at the other.

A two diameter vertical hole is drilled through the center of the body from top to bottom and perpendicular to the inlet and outlet openings. The larger diameter is at the top. The vertical hole receives the valve and stem 17 and is threaded (NC machine threads) at the bottom to receive a cap screw 12. The smaller diameter of the vertical hole extends from the bottom of the body 1t? to a point approximately midway between the intersection of the vertical and horizontal holes and the top of the body 10. The larger diameter hole is from this point to the top of the body 10.

The upper end of the small diameter vertical hole is threaded (NC machine threads) to receive an adjusting ring 15 having male threads. The top part of the valve body 10 is flanged and has holes to match the holes in the upper flange 7.

Valve and stem The valve and stem 17 is made one piece and of steel. It is cylindrical in shape. The lower end is the valve and is made to be a close sliding fit in the small diameter of the vertical hole in the valve body 10. The portion of the valve and stem 17 above the valve section is made in two diameters, each of which is considerably smaller than the valve diameter.

The intermediate diameter of the valve and stem 17 forms a shoulder of a diameter that passes freely through the valve seat and bushing 14. The shoulder however, does not pass through the adjusting ring 15 located in the upper end of the small diameter vertical hole.

The upper end is the stem and is of the smaller diameter to pass freely through the hole in the valve seat, which also serves as a bushing 14, and the hole in the adjusting ring 15.

The stem extends above the valve body 10. It is threaded (NC machine threads) at the upper end and the valve end has a recess at the bottom in the center to receive the return spring 13. The valve and stem 17 is inserted or removed through the bottom of the valve body 10.

Valve seat and bushing The brass valve seat and bushing 14 is cylindrical in shape and is a press fit into the small diameter vertical hole in the valve body 10.

The valve seat and bushing 14 is so located in the valve body Ill that its lower edge is even with the upper edge of the horizontal passage through the valve body and its upper edge extend to the bottom of the threads in the upper end of the small diameter vertical hole. The bottom surface area of the valve seat and bushing 14 and the shoulder formed at the top of the large diameter of the valve and stem 17 constitutes the valves seating surface and acts as a stop for the valve and stem 17 by contacting the shoulder formed at the top of the large diameter.

Cap screw A brass cap screw 12 is received by the threads in the lower end of the vertical small diameter hole of the valve body 10. It has a cylindrical recess in the center of the threaded end to receive the return spring 13. A washer 11 is fitted between the head of the cap screw 12 and the valve body 10 to secure a gas tight fit.

Return spring The brass coiled return spring 13 is fitted vertically and held in place below the valve by the recesses in the valve and stem 17 and the cap screw 12.

A djustilzg ring The adjusting ring 15 is made of brass and has male threads (NF machine threads). The hole in its center is large enough to permit the valve stem 17 to pass through freely but will not allow the shoulder on the intermediate diameter of the valve and stem 17 to pass through.

The adjusting ring 15 has a slot milled through the center across the upper surface to facilitate rota-ting it clockwise or counter-clockwise as needed to adjust the height of the pilot size flame in the stove.

As the adjusting ring 15 is screwed down to engage the shoulder on the valve and stem 17, further clockwise rotation will move the valve away from the seat, thereby permitting an increase gas flow and a larger flame in the stove. Counter-clockwise rotation of the adjusting ring 15 reduces the gas flow and lowers the flame in the stove.

3 Seal The seal 16 is a highly flexible latex and in the shape of a thimble. -It is thin and the open end of the thimble shaped seal 16 is rolled back on itself approximately two turns, forming a lip. This lip rests on the area formed around the upper flat surface of flanged portion of the valve body 10, inside the circle of the flange screws 6.

A small hole is made in the center of the closed end of the seal 16 and then stretched to fit on the threaded end of the valve and stem 17. A valve stem nut 5 on the valve and stem 17 acts as a seating surface for the seal 16, having a seal washer 4 interposed between the two.

Seal washer A thin flat rubber seal washer 3 and 4 fits above and below the latex seal 16 on the valve and stem 17.

Spacer A round brass ring serves as a spacer 8 and is placed over the valve and stem 17 and seal 16 to rest on the rolled up surface (lip) of the seal 16 on the flanged surface.

flange screws 6 are placed in the matched equally spaced holes of the two flanges and secured by flange nuts 9.

Comb handle rest A hole in the center of the comb handle rest 1 allows the valve and stem 17 to pass through it. The exposed threads on the valve and stem 17 above the comb handle rest 1 receives a valve stem nut 2, forcing the seal washers 3 and 4 tightly against the seal 16. The comb handle rest 1 is made secure in a position that the centerline of its two upright sides are perpendicular to the gas flow through the valve. Two pins (not shown), attached to the comb handle rest 1 extend down and pass through holes in the upper flange 7. The pins act as guides for the comb handle rest 1 and prevent any rotation of it.

Valve stem nuts The valve sem nuts 2 and 5 are fitted below the seal washer 4 and above the comb handle rest 1 on the valve and stem 17. They lock the comb handle rest 1 in position and forces the seal washers 3 and 4 to the latex seal 16 for a gas tight arrangement.

The various parts of this gas regulating valve are made of materials that when functioning parts strike one another, they will not produce a spark to cause an explosion.

I claim:

1. A regulator adapted to automatically control gas flow comprising a body portion having a hollow chamber with inlet and outlet orifices at the end of said chamber, a vertical chamber dissecting said hollow chamber, a valve stem of progressively decreasing diameter in steps within said vertical chamber, shoulders on said valve stem defining said decreasing steps, a diaphragm seal secured over said vertical chamber, an implement rest afiixed to the upper portion of said valve stem, means adapted to adjust the position of said valve stem in said vertical chamber including; a sleeve within said vertical chamber, the lower edge of said sleeve juxtaposed to the upper edge of said hollow chamber adapted to contact one of said shoulders, an adjustable ring within said vertical chamber above said sleeve adapted to contact another of said shoulders and spring means adapted to exert upward pressure on said valve stem, said valve stem being actuatable upon the exertion of a downward force upon said implement rest.

2. A regulator adapted to automatically control gas flow as claimed in claim 1 wherein said implement rest is substantially U shaped.

3. A regulator adapted to automatically control gas flow as claimed in claim 2 wherein said diaphragm is substantially dome shaped.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,101,464 6/1914 McDonald 251-321 X 2,288,733 7/1942 Niesemann 251-321 X 2,301,781 11/1942 Higbee 251-621 X V FOREIGN PATENTS 47,633 3/1937 France. 545,507 7/1922 France. 177,253 3/ 1922 Great Britain.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

A. ROSENTHAL, Examiner. 

1. A REGULATOR ADAPTED TO AUTOMATICALLY CONTROL GAS FLOW COMPRISING A BODY PORTION HAVING A HOLLOW CHAMBER WITH INLET AND OUTLET ORIFICES AT THE END OF SAID CHAMBER, A VERTICAL CHAMBER DISSECTING SAID HOLLOW CHAMBER, A VALVE STEM OF PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING DIAMETER IN STEPS WITHIN SAID VERTICAL CHAMBER, SHOULDERS ON SAID VALVE STEM DEFINING SAID DECREASING STEPS, A DIAPHRAGM SEAL SECURED OVER SAID VERTICAL CHAMBER, AN IMPLEMENT REST AFFIXED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID VALVE STEM, MEANS ADAPTED TO ADJUST THE POSITION OF SAID VALVE STEM IN SAID VERTICAL CHAMBER INCLUDING; A SLEEVE WITHIN SAID VERTICAL CHAMBER, THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID SLEEVE JUXTAPOSED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID HOLLOW CHAMBER ADAPTED TO CONTACT ONE OF SAID SHOULDERS, AN ADJUSTABLE RING WITHIN SAID VERTICAL CHAMBER ABOVE SAID SLEEVE ADAPTED TO CONTACT ANOTHER OF SAID SHOULDERS AND SPRING MEANS ADAPTED TO EXERT UPWARD PRESSURE ON SAID VALVE STEM, SAID VALVE STEM BEING ACTUATABLE UPON THE EXERTION OF A DOWNWARD FORCE UPON SAID IMPLEMENT REST. 